TC Energy, working in partnership with Kinder Morgan, is proceeding with plans for its Bakken Xpress Pipeline project that will create an additional 400 million cubic feet per day of capacity to move North Dakota natural gas to market.
TC Energy plans to boost compression at existing stations in Arnegard, Manning and Glen Ullin to reverse the flow in its existing Bison Pipeline, which is currently sitting idle. The 302-mile pipeline will interconnect with a line operated by Kinder Morgan subsidiary Wyoming Interstate Company to move the gas to the Cheyenne Hub. Target date for completion is early 2026.
Public open houses to explain the project are tentatively planned for Glen Ullin on August 8, Killdeer on August 9 and Watford City on August 10.
During a news conference last month, ND Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad described the importance of additional natural gas takeaway capacity as the volume of gas produced in the Bakken continues to grow. Kringstad said sufficient commitments are in place to allow the project to move forward, but there is space for additional gas shippers.
Kringstad said WBI Energy is also planning to reverse the previous flow in its 230-mile Grasslands Pipeline, that will provide about 90 Mcf/day of additional takeaway capacity. He said WBI's project will not require additional compression, so is expected to be available later this year. Kringstad said Bison Xpress will take longer to be completed because its additional compression will require federal regulatory approval.
Click here to listen to Kringstad's comments.
New takeaway capacity is essential to prevent the need for oil producers to ratchet back production as the gas-to-oil ratio in the Bakken continues to inch upward. Natural gas production in May averaged more than 3.1 billion cubic feet per day, close to the all-time record set last September.